One of the more interesting aspects of getting older, at least for me, is realizing you don’t know what you don’t know. Concepts that seemed simple and clear-cut with youthful, idealistic eyes begin to blur as the wisdom of age sets in. When you catch yourself resetting your world view, it can be humbling.

I had one of those moments when I first viewed The Sex Talk, today’s special report on campus sexual assault. The absolutes I had in my head about the rules of engagement for young adults in the college setting – consent, the line between regret and assault, the complicating factors of alcohol and drugs – were challenged by each and every person who bravely shared their experiences with Cincinnati Enquirer journalists Meg Vogel and Kate Murphy.

The numbers are mind-boggling. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Justice found one in five female undergraduates experienced some form of sexual assault while attending college. The Rev. Fr. Michael Graham, president of Xavier University, calls sexual assault on campus an epidemic. As I listened to Father Graham, along with the 23 other students, parents, educators and law-enforcement officers who went on camera for The Sex Talk, a common theme emerged: the epidemic is fueled in part by our unwillingness to have the difficult conversations required to better our understanding of objectification, rape culture and gender dynamics that contribute to sexual assault.

The biggest takeaway for me, being the father of a 12-year-old boy, is that I need to be fearless when it comes to talking about these issues with my son as he comes of age so that he’s prepared for the moments of decision that surely will come his way, whether he attends college or chooses another path as a young adult.

I asked Meg and Kate what their biggest revelations were after spending nearly a year working together on the project. Meg said they found themselves reframing their own college experiences.

“The students we interviewed talked about campus culture, and it doesn’t look any different from when we were in school less than five years ago,” she said “We just didn’t recognize that we were immersed in an environment where sexual assault and rape culture were prevalent.

“We thought of how easily this could have been us, our friends and siblings. And that was gut-wrenching. But in those moments, we knew this project was necessary.”